SERIES HISTORY: 55th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 32-22. The Vikings won the last meeting in 2014 in Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers had won six straight before that. This is the first meeting at Minnesota's 2-year-old stadium.

KEYS TO THE GAME: With uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Vikings will have to bank on riding a dominant defense that can reach a higher level when there's home-field advantage. If Sam Bradford plays, the Vikings have a better chance of trading blows with Jameis Winston, the first QB in NFL history to start a career with consecutive 4,000-yard seasons. If Case Keenum starts, the Vikings will need a more conservative approach and rely on rookie running back Dalvin Cook to continue playing with quickness, strength and the kind of speed that makes him a threat to score every time he slips through a whole or beats the defense to the corner.

The Bucs had a great defensive performance in the season opener against the Bears. But as coach Dirk Koetter has said, they can't count on getting four turnovers in the first half every Sunday.

The Vikings are a pretty disciplined team under Mike Zimmer. Tampa Bay has to prepare as if Bradford will be at quarterback Sunday, even though he missed last week's game in Pittsburgh and is nursing a knee injury.

Getting pressure on Bradford will be the key. He's not that mobile to begin with after two ACL surgeries and now swelling. He played lights out in the season opener against the Saints. But Bradford will try to rely more on Cook.

The Bucs played the run extremely well last week, limiting the Bears to only 20 yards on the ground. They also jumped into a 3-4 at times.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Vikings C Pat Elflein vs. Bucs DT Gerald McCoy. Elflein, a rookie third-round draft pick, has been outstanding. He was part of the line that dominated the Saints in Week 1. In Week 2 at Pittsburgh, he was the only lineman not to be penalized. McCoy is a force inside. He had four QB pressures against the Bears last week.

--Bucs QB Jameis Winston vs. Vikings S Andrew Sendejo. When the Vikings use free safety Harrison Smith closer to the line of scrimmage and put Sendejo in a single-high look, quarterbacks and receivers look to take advantage of Sendejo's lack of ideal speed and shallow sets. If the Vikings get pressure on Winston, this won't matter. If the Bucs can protect long enough, Winston could find receivers getting past cornerback Trae Waynes while Sendejo is out of position.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes shut down Antonio Brown last week in Pittsburgh. With Rhodes shadowing him, Brown only caught three balls for 28 yards. Against the few zone looks the Vikings showed, Brown had two more catches for 34 yards, including a 26-yarder on a busted coverage. The Bucs throw a lot of different skill sets at receiver with the small, shifty, speedy DeSean Jackson and the bigger, stronger Mike Evans.

FAST FACTS: Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston opened his season last week by throwing for 204 yards and a TD, good for a 91.5 QB rating, and has compiled a QB rating of at least 85 in five of the last six road games. ... Buccaneers LB LaVonte David bagged nine tackles and a fumble recovery last week. When Tampa Bay last played Minnesota in 2014, David finished with 14 stops and three TFLs. ... Vikings WR Stefon Diggs has caught three TD passes in the last three games, and has at least five catches in six of his last seven games. ... Vikings DE Everson Griffen registered two sacks last week, the ninth multi-sack game of his career.

PREDICTION: The Vikings are a lot more dangerous with Sam Bradford under center than Case Keenum. If Bradford is unable to play, that puts a lot of pressure on a defense that tends to play better at home. But the Buccaneers can give a defense a lot to think about, and their superiority on offense makes the difference.

OUR PICK: Buccaneers, 23-20.

Upi.com--Bucky Dent

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My prediction: Vikings 16, Bucs 10

Sun Sep 24, 2017 8:38 am

Nunin

Pro Bowl Elite Player

Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:40 amPosts: 567

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

I'm not as vehemently down on Sendejo as others here, but I would definitely like to see a serious upgrade before Harry is done. When the scouting report suggests that you can rely on him being out of position often enough to use it as an attack strategy, it says a lot about our depth there. It's actually surprising to me that no one has been able to supplant that dude.Although, the secondary has played well the past 2 seasons, great infact, so maybe his weakness is exaggerated due to there being so few weaknesses back there.-How does everyone feel about Tre Waynes...?

lol just kidding.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:05 am

FireSpieldope

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Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:35 amPosts: 70

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

Can we please fire the Dope when the Vikings miss the playoffs? He went all in on Bradford who looks like his career is in jeopardy. Can you really count on Bradford to stay healthy? Last year was an aberration.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:36 am

IrishViking

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Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:02 amPosts: 1631

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

FireSpieldope wrote:

Can we please fire the Dope when the Vikings miss the playoffs? He went all in on Bradford who looks like his career is in jeopardy. Can you really count on Bradford to stay healthy? Last year was an aberration.

I assume you mean Spielman?

Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:41 am

FireSpieldope

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Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:35 amPosts: 70

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

Ahh, yes, Spieldope!!!!LOL

I got to admit, Bradford looked great in week 1, but if you can't play, what does it matter? What are the chances this guy can stay healthy? Usually I don't put too much stock on injuries, but 2 ACL's on the same knee plus with swelling still years later. Not good. I hate to be pessimistic.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:43 am

IrishViking

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Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:02 amPosts: 1631

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

FireSpieldope wrote:

Ahh, yes, Spieldope!!!!LOL

I got to admit, Bradford looked great in week 1, but if you can't play, what does it matter? What are the chances this guy can stay healthy? Usually I don't put too much stock on injuries, but 2 ACL's on the same knee plus with swelling still years later. Not good. I hate to be pessimistic.

You'll find a lot of support of the "Can spielman" position. I think there are plenty of reasons to get ride of him, not getting bradford though. We started out 5-0 with him, that's awesome. He started us 1-0 this year. He held up all of last year. You can anticipate every injury everyone might get.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:53 am

Nunin

Pro Bowl Elite Player

Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 12:40 amPosts: 567

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

Sam may be finished to some degree...maybe not, but I don't fault Spielman for the move. It was a great move IMO.The things I don't like is drafting or signing guys who don't fir...or taking flyers on projects at psitions that require entrenched fundamental prowess, o-line for example.Letting CP84 walk after giving up multiplt picks to draft him....then watching him score on a running play last week, irritates me. But, for the most part, Spielman has turned a corner IMO. This is as talented a Vikings team as I've seen in a long time. Still having some bad luk with injuries...and how he plays out this situation at QB will either entrench him or be the cataylst for his ouster as far as my support goes.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:59 am

FireSpieldope

Backup

Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:35 amPosts: 70

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

IrishViking wrote:

FireSpieldope wrote:

Ahh, yes, Spieldope!!!!LOL

I got to admit, Bradford looked great in week 1, but if you can't play, what does it matter? What are the chances this guy can stay healthy? Usually I don't put too much stock on injuries, but 2 ACL's on the same knee plus with swelling still years later. Not good. I hate to be pessimistic.

You'll find a lot of support of the "Can spielman" position. I think there are plenty of reasons to get ride of him, not getting bradford though. We started out 5-0 with him, that's awesome. He started us 1-0 this year. He held up all of last year. You can anticipate every injury everyone might get.

He's had TWO ACL's on the same knee. That is Very Rare and a unusual problem. If he's having problems from the old inure then yes, you could actually predict it. Was Bradford the main reason to fire Spieldope? No, his continual disaster of an OLine that last 7-8 years is. They have gone from pretty good when he got here to likely the worst OLine in the NFL. You cannot win it all without a solid OLine or an Elite QB. The Vikings have neither.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:11 am

halfgiz

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Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 11:38 pmPosts: 1742

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

Well lets see if the OL can have a good game this week. Brock is active this week. Lets see if he gets any playing time.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:27 am

akvikingsfan

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Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:06 pmPosts: 1275Location: New Hope, MN

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

Skol from The Bank. Hopefully they can go to 2-0 when I’m at games this season.

Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:27 am

yezzir

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Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 3:05 pmPosts: 3868

Re: Buccaneers @ Vikings Game Day Discussion Thread -- Week

FireSpieldope wrote:

Ahh, yes, Spieldope!!!!LOL

I got to admit, Bradford looked great in week 1, but if you can't play, what does it matter? What are the chances this guy can stay healthy? Usually I don't put too much stock on injuries, but 2 ACL's on the same knee plus with swelling still years later. Not good. I hate to be pessimistic.

As we look at Game 2 of the Case Keenum "era", it is maddening that we cannot seem to establish a franchise QB on this team. It's been a looooooong time since we had one... Culpepper was our last real franchise QB until he blew up his knee in 2005. SInce then, we've seen a parade of incompetents, has-beens and unfortunate injuries. I don't think Case Keenum is going to break that trend.

Yeah, it probably wasn't a TD but hard to tell for sure. I wouldn't have been surprised if they changed it. But anyways, Cook, don't be reaching out in traffic!!! to worth the risk unless it was 4th down or something.